


Damie but it's Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" album

by songbird189243



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: All rights go to TS, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, One Shot, One Shot Collection, i had to do this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:48:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songbird189243/pseuds/songbird189243
Summary: exactly what the title says. Just a series of prompts I got based off of my favorite Taylor album because I can't get over these two even months later. Will have some that are canon appropriate, some that are AUs, some that are fix-its, whatever will fit the song.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Edmund O'Mara, Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie, Hannah Grose & Owen Sharma, Hannah Grose/Owen Sharma, Rebecca Jessel/Peter Quint
Kudos: 8





	1. Mine

_"I remember all the city lights on the water_

_you saw me start to believe for the first time_

_you made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_you are the best thing that's ever been mine"_

It was getting worse.

Jamie knew it would. Dani had warned her since day one that it was coming. That one day, Jamie would wake up, and Dani would be looking through the eyes of someone else. Or worse, wouldn't be there at all. She knew, but it didn't make it any easier.

Jamie was also getting slightly tired of cleaning up smashed plates.

"So, do you want to do anything this weekend?" Jamie asked quietly, toiling in the kitchen as she cleaned up, doing exactly what she'd promised then. 

Dani, curled up on the couch in a meek little ball, just quietly said, "No."

Jamie sighed. She hated this. She hated watching her wife waste away like that. It wasn't what life was supposed to be. You had to live, not just survive. Dani deserved that, at least.

Jamie joined her soon after. Dani, still slightly shaken from an earlier episode, sat on the other end of the couch for a bit, before slowly shifting over to curl into Jamie. Jamie shifted in turn, allowing her arm to gently drape over her wife's shoulder, fingers trailing through blonde hair. As Dani tucked herself into Jamie's collarbone, rhythmic breath brushing over Jamie's neck, an idea came to the gardener. 

She couldn't rid her love of her beast in the jungle, but she could certainly remind her that there was more in the world than the voice in her head.

  
"Babe, where are we going?" Dani stared out the car window, mismatched eyes squinting in confusion. "This isn't the route to the shop."

"We're not going to the shop." Jamie said vaguely, focusing on the road. She smiled as she felt Dani turn to her, voice puzzled.

"Where are we going, then?"

Jamie grinned. "Its a surprise."

Dani fell silent, but Jamie could tell with a quick glance that she was confused. Nervous, even. Jamie didn't normally do surprises. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was just easier on Dani if they could talk through plans together, consider each other every step of the way. This was different.

The drive to New York was long but quick at the same time, the two comfortable in each other's presense. Dani hadn't asked any questions yet, but Jamie could just tell by the way she was sitting that she wanted to. 

They arrived as the moon started her ascent into the night sky, stars twinkling above them even in the lights of the city. It certainly was beautiful, even if Jamie personally preferred the quiet nature of their own town. She led Dani to a quiet restaurant she'd scoped out before, where they were complimented by a nervous young waiter for being a "pretty couple". It was a light meal, but it was nice, the two just laughing and enjoying each other as always. Jamie still didn't explain what they were doing in New York, but Dani had, to her wife's relief, started to relax again.

Eventually, Jamie glanced at her watch, and ushered them out of the restaurant after tipping the waiter handsomely. She led them through the streets, which were beginning to become less crowded as people turned in for the night. Eventually, the tang of salt started to tinge the air. Dani followed patiently as the pair finally arrived at their destination, the faint sound of waves in the air making chills run down her spine.

Dani took a step back, realizing they were in front of a river, an old man and a boat waiting patiently in the night. "I don't understand..."

Jamie turned, smiling sheepishly. "I thought we could take a ride. It'd be something different. We can't hide away in that flat forever."

Dani swallowed, eyes trailing past her to the waves, dark and threatening. "You know I don't..."

Jamie nodded gently, taking Dani's hands in hers. She understood completely. She couldn't imagine the horror of looking down and seeing someone else's reflection in the place of hers. 

"Look, the boat'll be going to fast to be able to see anything." She explained. "It'll be nice. I'll be right here."

Dani still didn't budge, tipping her head. Jamie so rarely asked her to do anything. 

After another moment of silence, Jamie let go of one of her hands to cup her cheek. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

With a deep breath, Dani nodded. Slowly, the two entering the boat, Jamie nodding gratefully to the old man, who just smiled back. Another couple, both teenagers, waved politely at them as they sat down. Dani and Jamie sat down, Dani tucking herself into Jamie as the boat started.

The ride was nice, even though Dani refused to look at the black waters. She just sat, head in the crook of Jamie's neck as they travelled through the city. Jamie stayed quiet, gently stroking her hair all the way. 

Finally, the boat slowed. The teen couple ran over to the side, gasping with wide smiles. Dani felt Jamie shift away from her, breath tickling her ear as she said gently, "Poppins, look."

Heart pounding, Dani forced her eyes open, meeting Jamie's eyes. Jamie gently pointed to the water. Gritting her teeth and telling herself it would be okay, Jamie wouldn't let her go, Dani turned.

And gasped.

The many lights of the city danced before them on the waves, blocking out any reflection Dani could have conjured. They were like animals of their own nature, shining like stars caught in the water in front of them. It was a more beautiful sight than Dani would have ever thought. 

Breath shaking, she dared to lean forward, until the faint outline of her head could be seen in the lights. She gasped, choking back tears. 

"What?" Jamie asked quietly, squeezing her arm. Dani shook her head. 

"It's... I don't see her, Jamie." She smiled, shaking her head. "It's not her." And in her eyes, something else glowed, brighter than even the stars on the water's surface. It was hope.

Jamie just grinned, swallowing her own tears, and the two turned back towards the lights as they continued to dance, like the sun itself was caught under the river and was trying to shine through with bright fingers. Dani leaned her head against Jamie's shoulder again, but this time, her body was lax. She'd let go of some of the anxiety that was plaguing her shoulders, keeping her from breathing as freely. Jamie sighed to herself in relief, pressing a kiss to Dani's hair. 

After a moment, Dani sighed, raising her head, tearing her eyes away from the lights to catch Jamie's. And for that one brief moment, Jamie could have sworn both of her eyes were blue, that it was just her wife giving her that gaze, so full of love.

"You are..." Dani whispered, just quiet enough for only them to hear, tears shining in her eyes. She bit her lip, seemingly unable to finish her sentence, but as she tucked her face into Jamie's collarbone, the message was clear as they both turned their eyes back on the lights.


	2. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sick feeling in his gut, Owen rushes back to Bly Manor to find Jamie alone by the lake. Yeah sorry, this one is sad.

_"You and I walk a fragile line_

_I've known it all this time_

_but I never thought I'd live to see it break"_

Owen knew when it happened. He didn't know how exactly, but he knew. He hadn't hesitated to close the restaurant, letting his workers know he'd be home sometime soon. He'd immediately made the exhausting trip back to that blasted house, hardly bothering to close the door when he leapt out of the car. He could only hope he wasn't too late.

He'd found the now-widow on her knees by the lake, water dripping from her hair onto her hands, which were shivering. She hadn't taken her fingers off of the band, and she just blinked at it, slowly rocking back and forth as tearless sobs racked her body over and over again. Owen raced to the gardener's side, ignoring the sting of the cold water seeping through his trousers. He put a gentle, warm hand on her shoulder, causing her to slowly turn to meet his eyes.

Jamie's eyes were red, wet, hurt. He found, as she slowly whispered, "She's gone", that he'd only seen that look in someone's eyes once before. He'd seen it in his own, after he'd dragged her out of that well. It was a broken, broken feeling, and his heart immediately sank at seeing it in the pale eyes of his friend. He kneeled down in the water, his hand still on her shoulder, until he was at her eyeline. Jamie stared at him for another moment, mouth slightly agape, like she wasn't sure what she could even do next. Then she threw her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his shirt. In a moment, his arms were around her, rubbing her back as more and more sobs tore through her.

The rest of the day slipped by in a gray haze, dominated only by the simple thought of getting Jamie back to a warm place. Owen somehow found an empty room at a nearby hotel, careful to stay away from the pub the gardener used to reside in, knowing full well it would bring back painful memories. He'd let her shower and change, staying quiet the entire way. There wasn't anything he could really say.

Finally, long after the sun had set, leaving the sky a dark, cloudy mess hanging over them, he spoke. Jamie had been pacing in their room, sniffling slightly, when she suddenly said, "You know what the worst part was?"

Owen glanced up from the book he'd found in one of the nightstands. "What?"

Jamie sniffed again, more tears appearing in her exhausted eyes. "The worst fucking part," She took a deep breath. "I knew it was coming. It was going to happen. We walked a fragile fucking line from the beginning, but..." She choked, reaching up to angrily wipe a tear away, though more quickly followed. "The years just kept going, and she... and I... I dared to hope. I tried to stop believing that it was coming, that maybe, just maybe, I'd get to keep her here with me. And then - I woke up and she was just -"

Her face crumpled. Owen quickly stood, guiding her to the couch he'd been sitting on. "What happened?"

Jamie sniffed, shaking her head. "She was just gone, Owen. Just like that. And then I went to Bly... I saw her down there. I told her to take me, and she wouldn't..."

"She would never." Owen said quietly, putting an arm around her shoulders. 

Jamie gasped, nodding slowly. After another moment, she said quietly, "It's been thirteen years. The longest we've ever been apart was 17 hours. She counted it. I miss her, Owen."

"I know." He said quietly. And he did. He knew all too well. 

Owen had insisted that Jamie come back with him to Paris for a little while, at least until she felt well enough to go back to Vermont on her own. She hadn't seemed eager to return to their flowershop(Owen knew Dani had as much to do with that shop as Jamie did), and she agreed without much resistance. Over the trip, she'd told him a little about those thirteen years. She told him about their first Christmas together, when Jamie had set up their shop in a certain why just to surprise her wife, about the year they traveled to every place Dani had ever wanted to see, ending with a rather somber trip to Dani's hometown. She told him about the lights on the water in New York, how that was the moment they'd both started to believe. She even told him about her moonflower garden all the way back in Bly. Owen didn't need to think too hard about the metaphor Jamie was trying to convey there.

Over the next few weeks, good food paired with his terrible puns slowly started to bring her back up again. She was still shite at cooking, so she instead set out to help him by examining his herb stashes, and went as far as too set up a small greenhouse on his property, where she started planting simple things like mint and basil. None of it was needed, but Owen was more than happy to let Jamie do her thing. The herb greenhouse was actually quite helpful, according to some of his chefs. Jamie fit in well, especially when her snark started to return, but soon, Owen knew it was time for her to return. Only a little while after realizing this, he started to see the same revelation in her eyes too.

The night before she left, he insisted on sitting her down and giving her a full meal on the house. She was treated to some of his best cooking, and enjoyed every minute of it. 

As the night came to a close and most of the customers had left the restaurant, Owen came out of the kitchen with a small plate, placing it gently in front of the widow. Already nearly full, Jamie leaned back in confusion. It was a simple vanilla cake, decorated in a soft white icing. Delicately placed on the surface was a pale flower, the petals curving in a painfully familiar way.

She glanced up at him, eyes questioning. "I haven't seen this one on the menu."

"It's new." He explained. "I'm thinking of calling it 'The Moonflower'". 

He winked, just catching her grin as he turned and went back to the kitchen, leaving her to enjoy the slice in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two sad ones in a row. The next one is "Speak Now", though, so be ready for a much cheerier AU.


End file.
